This invention relates generally to a system for evaluating the physical and genetic characteristics of animals; and, more particularly, the physical and genetic characteristics of beef cattle.
For many years cattlemen have attempted to evaluate the characteristics of beef cattle in order to select animals of highest productivity as measured by their breeding characteristics and their ability to produce meat, milk, and the like. Over the years, various persons have devised various methods of evaluating such characteristics. Such methods may or may not have been based upon scientific analysis and study. At the present time, the economic survival of most cattlemen depends upon efficiency in operation. Thus, the cattlemen must not only select the best possible animals for breeding purposes; but, also select the best feed, the amount of feed, and determine which animals to slaughter and when to slaughter such animals. One non-productive animal can cost a cattleman a substantial amount of money over a relatively short period of time.
The primary object of the present invention is to enable accurate selection of cattle for growth and mating through use of scientifically controlled correlated measurements of physical characteristics. In general, the invention comprises the use of an electronic measuring means, such as a plurality of television cameras, which are arranged and located in a manner to provide individual animal output measurement signals, accurately representative of the profile and physical structure of a particular animal, which are transferable to a suitable recording means, such as a video tape system. The individual animal measurement signals are then utilized with a conventional computer in which standard animal measurement data of like kinds of animals is stored. The individual animal measurement signals are compared with the standard animal measurement data to generate output data which may be transcribed onto printed materials by conventional print-out means.
In order to make the present invention generally available to all cattlemen, the system must be adaptable to use at the location of the cattle such as at farms, feedlots and ranches. Thus, I have developed a portable measurement system capable of being transported from one location to another by use of a vehicle such as a van or truck. The portable measurement system comprises a special chute apparatus for holding the animal during measurement, a pair of portable television cameras and a video tape system for recording the measurement data on video tape which can be sent to a central computer processing station for providing the desired information about a particular animal.
In general, the chute apparatus comprises a rectangular box having an entry gate at one end and an exit gate at the other end with a conventional head catch mechanism associated therewith. The front side of the chute apparatus comprises a viewing wall made of a grid-work of steel rods or a translucent material such as plastic having grid-lines located thereon. The top side of the chute apparatus comprises a similar viewing wall. The back side of the chute apparatus comprises a solid plate or the like which will enable the side profile of the animal to be readily outlined before a television camera. The chute apparatus may include weighing means at the bottom of the chute to weigh the animal and sloped abutment means to cause the animal to stand in the center of the chute apparatus in an upright position. A first television camera means is located a predetermined distance in front of the side profile viewing wall and a second television camera means is located a predetermined distance above the top profile viewing wall. The television cameras are connected to a portable video tape recording system having suitable controls to select image signals from either one of the television cameras and record those image signals.